Delhi government floats tender for 15 cryogenic tankers
New Delhi: Preparing for an anticipated third wave of COVID-19, Delhi government agency DTC has floated a tender for procurement of 15 cryogenic tankers having a total carrying capacity of 225 tonnes.
A shortage of liquid medical oxygen with a lack of adequate storage and transportation facilities proved to be a major handicap in treating serious patients during the second wave of the pandemic in the city.
The tender floated by the Delhi Transport Corporation(DTC) last week is for the supply of five cryogenic tankers each of 10 tonne, 15 tonne and 20 tonne capacity.
The successful bidder will have to deliver all the tankers within 90 days of the issue of letter of award. As per the delivery schedule, one tanker of each weight category will have to be delivered within a month, said the tender document.
The Delhi government is fast ramping up its oxygen production, storage and transportation infrastructure capacity to be able to handle a large number of patients specially those who require oxygen support, in case the third wave strikes, officials said.
Last month, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said that the Delhi government would be buying 25 oxygen tankers and putting up 64 oxygen plants in the next few weeks to ensure the city does not face another oxygen crisis as it did during the second wave.
Delhi faced an acute shortage of oxygen during the second wave surge in April and May, when some COVID-19 patients died at two hospitals due to scarcity of the life-saving gas.
The chief minister had also said that the government was creating an oxygen storage capacity of 420 tonnes to meet any future needs.
